Grand-Popo Travel Guide

 
by tina4smart
 
  •   Grand-Popo
    by tina4smart
  • The evening breeze à Grand Popo
      The evening breeze à Grand Popo
    by tina4smart
  •   Grand-Popo
    by tina4smart
  • Fishing Boat on the Beach
      Fishing Boat on the Beach
    by janiebaxter
  • Mono River
      Mono River
    by janiebaxter
 

Explore Grand-Popo

Things to Do  

Grand Popo Old Town

Grand Popo Old Town, Grand-Popo

 janiebaxter Says:  Grand Popo Old Town was important during the slave trade, but now is half deserted and run-down in parts. It is well worth taking a walk around the old town though because it is very charming and quite a lot of people still live there. You can see the abandoned old Dutch... 

Visit a Village on the Mono River

Visit a Village on the Mono River, Grand-Popo

 janiebaxter Says:  We visited one of the small villages along the riverbank as part of our boat trip on the Mono River, as we couldn't get into the Mangroves to explore because the water level was too low for our boat. This village was called Avlo, with a population of 600, and as our boat... 

See Salt Being Produced

See Salt Being Produced, Grand-Popo

 janiebaxter Says:  The villages along the Mono River earn their living from fishing and some also make salt. Avlo village which we visited is one of these.To make the salt they take sand from the mangroves which they mix with water and filter in a big traditional basket made from mangrove... 

The Beach

The Beach, Grand-Popo

 janiebaxter Says:  The beach in Grand Popo stretches all the way to Lome in Togo in one direction and to Cotonou in the other direction. At Grand Popo it is really lovely - wide with dark golden sand and plenty of space. I visited at Easter time and even then you wouldn't call it crowded. You... 

Boat Trip on the Mono River

Boat Trip on the Mono River, Grand-Popo

 janiebaxter Says:  The Mono River is 500km long and flows from Togo into the sea at Grand Popo. Our boat trip took about 2 hours in a motor boat which had a cover to shade us from the sun, and travelled at a leisurely pace so there was plenty of opportunity to take photographs.We passed a... 

The Stadium - for Voodoo

The Stadium - for Voodoo, Grand-Popo

 janiebaxter Says:  When I first saw this stadium right on the beach I thought it must be what most stadiums are for nowadays - football, or at least some kind of sport. But why on a sandy beach? This being Benin, it is for the annual Voodoo festival that takes place in Grand Popo in January.... 

Birdwatching

Birdwatching, Grand-Popo

 janiebaxter Says:  Grand Popo is a great place for birdwatching. I just wish I had taken binoculars.Around the beach area and the gardens of the Auberge Grand Popo there are many types of birds, which make quite a noise early mornings and late afternoons. They are a bit difficult to see as the... 

Voodoo Temples by the River

Voodoo Temples by the River, Grand-Popo

 janiebaxter Says:  The traditional religion of Voodoo is very popular in Grand Popo, particularly in the Old Town and in the villages along the Mono River. If you take a boat trip along the river you will pass many temples along the riverbank where the small villages are. If you walk down to... 

War Memorial

War Memorial, Grand-Popo

 janiebaxter Says:  Opposite the Auberge Grand Popo there is a small war memorial with the inscription - Aux Enfants1914 - 19181939 - 1945It stands in a small patch of grassland and is very simple, and has a cannon in front of it. 

Visit Togo for the Day

Visit Togo for the Day, Grand-Popo

 janiebaxter Says:  Grand Popo is very close to the border with Togo and the capital Lome is not far from the border. It takes about 15 minutes by car to get to the border from Grand Popo. You can even walk straight down the beach in an hour, but you still need your passport.At the border I got... 

Hotels  

Auberge Awale plage: Auberge Awale plage

Auberge Awale plage: Auberge Awale plage, Grand-Popo

 afreak Says:  If you stay in Grand-Popo, don't mis awale plage in front of the beach in a coconuttrees. bungalows, restaurant (fishes), swimming pool, private beach, sports, trips and excursions. 

Auberge Grand Popo: Beachside with Beautiful Gardens

Auberge Grand Popo: Beachside with Beautiful Gardens, Grand-Popo

 janiebaxter Says:  The Auberge Grand Popo is situated on the beach at the quiet end of town - not that there is exactly a noisy end! It is close to the Mono River and the Old Town and the road here gets little traffic so it is very quiet.The 2 main buildings date from French colonial times and... 

Restaurants  

Auberge Grand Popo: Great Food and Lovely Location

Auberge Grand Popo: Great Food and Lovely Location, Grand-Popo

 janiebaxter Says:  The Auberge Grand Popo has a lovely restaurant overlooking the beach, set in beautiful gardens. It is open on 3 sides to take adfantage of the cooling sea breezes.Food here is excellent. I had lamb tagine which was very nicely cooked and there was plenty of it. As usual in... 

Warnings Or Dangers  

The Sea is not Safe for Swimming

The Sea is not Safe for Swimming, Grand-Popo

 janiebaxter Says:  The sea at Grand Popo really isn't safe to swim in. When I visited in March the waves were very high and there were many of them close together. Also the shore shelves very steeply and the waves break right in the dip. Even though it was Easter and the beach was as crowded... 

The Place

Plan a Grand-Popo vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Grand-Popo locals

Experience Grand-Popo
  •   14 Tips and Reviews
  •  34 Photos
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The People

 
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 If you stay in Grand-Popo, don't mis awale plage in front of the beach in a coconuttrees. bungalows, restaurant (fishes), swimming pool, private beach, sports,... 

 

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Top 3 Grand-Popo Writers

1

GRAND POPO - Laid Back and Lovely

janiebaxter profile photo

 Grand Popo is on the coast of Benin just 85km from Cotonou, and sits on a big wide sandy beach which stretches all the way to Lome in Togo in the other direction. Late afternoon is a good time to... 

2

GRAND POPO

Narviking profile photo

 I've got some interesting experiences in Grand-Popo. I'd love to share with you the 0 tips I've written, the 2 photos uploaded, and 0 travelogues I've created. 

3

Benin

tina4smart profile photo

 Petit et calme! 

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